Electric

Public Fleets in 9 States May Get More ZEV Funding

Nine states will be setting state-specific electrification goals and policies.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Nine states from the Northeast and West Coast have released a new Multi-State Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan for 2018-2021 to support implementation ZEV programs. The plan calls for funding for public fleet electrification, providing additional tools and data to support electrification, and increasing outreach to fleet managers.

The new action plan builds on the implementation of an earlier 2014 ZEV Action Plan. It presents 80 action recommendations for states, automakers, dealers, utilities, charging and fueling companies, and other key partners.

Its recommendations for states to help expand light-duty electric vehicle implementation include:

Setting state-specific electrification goals and policies, including ZEVs in statewide vehicle procurement contracts; conducting a fleetwide inventory of vehicles and determining which can be replaced with ZEVs; quantifying potential fuel and maintenance cost savings and encouraging vehicle selection based on total cost of ownership; and assessing opportunities to secure the federal electric vehicle tax credit through leasing or other means.

Offer financial incentives to state and local governments for the acquisition of ZEVs and electric vehicle charging stations.

Work with automakers to raise awareness and acceptance of ZEVs by offering information, maintenance training, and opportunities for test drives to public fleet managers. They should also present at fleet conferences and events.

The release of the new action plan follows the 2017 expiration of the “travel” provision in the participating states’ ZEV regulations, which allowed automakers to get compliance credit in Oregon and Northeast ZEV states for full EVs placed in California. Automakers are now required to deliver fully electric vehicles to meet specific sales goals in Oregon and the Northeast ZEV states.

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